Inspire. Empower. Create.
Jenny discovered Daisy & Grace’s quilt-as-you-go hexagons at The Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, England. She loved ‘em so much, she brought the templates home to Missouri and…everyone went nuts!
These pretty hexies can be sewn by hand or machine, and they come together in a flash! Best of all, the quilt top, batting, backing, and binding are all completed in one fell swoop! Once you’re done, you’re done! Click HERE to watch the tutorial!
Creativity starts in the home and then follows wherever we may go. As parents, grandparents, aunts, or uncles we all hope we are instilling the right amount of imagination and creativity into our little ones.
From backyard adventures to far away lands, to blanket forts and box castles, to treasure hunting with toy ships and chocolate gold, our little ones are always there to share with us their need to create.
Allow their imagination to grow while enhancing their skills! Teach your littles to sew with these fun projects:
The Cut, Sew, Create collection is a good place to start. Each kit has skill building levels from beginner to intermediate to advanced. Here are a few of our favorites:
Try this intermediate Monster Zipper Pouch Kit, by Stacy Iest Hsu for Moda. It includes instructions and a 100% cotton panel. Grab the kit and don’t forget to choose a zipper before you check out!
For your little first-time sewers, this beginner Animal Pillows Kit by Stacy Iest Hsu for Moda is great! It comes with a 100% cotton panel that will make a sloth, unicorn, and llama pillow set. Also included is a practice sewing session!
Jenny has made a quilt for all twenty-two of her grandchildren, but she also has just as much fun making with them as she does for them. I fact, a few of her grandkids have starred in some of our Missouri Star LIVE mini tutorials! So pull up a seat for yourself and the kids and start watching. This holiday season, make something together!
Easy Elephant Appliqué // Simple Bow Tie // Simple Skirt
Do your kids sew? What are some of their favorite things to make?
Tell (or show) us in the comments!
Our dear friend Lynne Hagmeier of Kansas Troubles Quilters is celebrating a major milestone: 20 years of designing for Moda! During that time, Kansas Troubles Quilters has put out 65 different lines of fabric. That’s literally thousands of different colors & prints! What an accomplishment!
Today Jenny will show you how to use the “Milestone” collection to whip up a cute little block designed by Lynne! Click HERE to watch the tutorial!
Aloha, quilters! Our 11th Birthday Bash was nothing short of a tropical paradise in our hometown of Hamilton, Missouri. We danced, we ate, and had a hula-va good time celebrating. Read on for a recap of our luau-themed celebration!
Before our party could even begin, we enjoyed a fabulous trunk show by Sue Daley! Her English Paper Piecing designs are a sight to behold, and we’re still oohing and ahhing over the intricate creations.
We kicked off the festivities on Wednesday evening with our annual Dinner with the Doans! Family members and guests were treated to a Hawaiian feast and tropical dancers straight from the “island paradise of Independence, Missouri.”
Our Birthday Bash officially began on Thursday, with our annual employee family photo! This is one of our favorite moments of the entire year, when all of the departments gather downtown to mix, mingle and smile for the camera!
Then, we boogied on over to the patio for the opening ceremony!
There were Cake Walks on the patio…
…and trunk shows from Martingale…
…and our designer friends sharing tips and tricks with everyone in our shops!
This year, our Missouri Star team made Tiki quilts to adorn our shops and downtown! A big thank-you to ColourWerx for their Tiki pattern!
Our Sew-lebrity Sew-Off did not disappoint! This year, Jenny and Sue Daley teamed up to take on the dynamic duo of Barb and Mary from Me & My Sister!
Both teams were stacked with talent from the quilting industry, and created two fantastic quilt tops at the end of the event! Watch the replay from the Live broadcast below!
The first day wrapped with an amazing trunk show my renowned Hawaiian Applique artist, Nancy Lee Chong. Her designs were as breathtaking as an island sunset!
Day 2 featured the Great Missouri Star Fabric Cake Bake Off, where our fabulous friends in the quilting community create cakes out of, you guessed it, fabric, notions, and all things quilting! These creative works were raffled off at the end of the day. Check out our live look-in at the competition HERE.
And of course, more partying on the patio!
Jenny capped off the day with her trunk show, filled with laughs, quilting tips, and inspiration!
Throughout Birthday Bash, the amazing Days for Girls organization and YOU–you wonderful quilters–stitched up more than 1,000 feminine hygiene kits that will be distributed to those in need around the world! Way to go!
With your support of the quilt, fabric cake and Sew-Off raffles, we were able to raise more than $5,000 for the Hamilton Community Food Pantry, which will go a long way in our community. Thank you for your support!
Ready to come party with us in 2020?! Mark your calendars for Sept. 24-26 for our 12th Birthday Bash! You won’t want to miss it!
A big mahalo to all those who made this event so special, including YOU, our amazing Missouri Star family; our fantastic employees, and our amazing Birthday Bash sponsors!
See you in 2020!
“Great stories happen to those who can tell them.” -Ira Glass
After the winter holidays, I like to write down the moments that made me smile. Like the care that went into a handmade gift from a grandchild, the friendly chatter around the family dinner table, and the sweet older lady who talked to me at the post office. Every day there’s something to remind me there is good in this world. These little moments make up each day and when I stop to appreciate them, it changes my perspective, and ultimately, my life.
Our lives are composed of small moments that make up our stories. Taking the time to recognize them and record them creates a narrative that connects generations. And quilting is another way of telling our stories. Each quilt begins with a moment of inspiration, a desire to create something beautiful and show we care. When a friend or a family member needs some extra love, I may not always know the perfect thing to do or say, but I know of at least one way I can help. Quilts communicate love beyond words.
If you’re ever wondering if your stories matter, take heart! They matter more than you’ll ever know. For the first time ever, this issue of BLOCK features stories from you, our readers. Thank you so much for sharing them with us! It has been a joy to read over them. We sincerely wish we could include them all. If you would like to submit your story for a future issue, we’d love to listen. Send it to us at blockstories@missouriquiltco.com. Here’s to a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and many more stories to come.
Love,
Jenny
Behind the Scenes of BLOCK Magazine Volume 6 Issue 6
One of the photographs in this issue was taken above Missouri Star’s Penney’s Quilt Shop. It’s a spectacular space that has yet to be renovated and still holds the heart of Hamilton’s history within its walls. To keep to the authenticity, we modeled two of our very own employees: Joe Morgan, our amazing carpenter who has played a huge role in the renovations of most all our buildings and his sweet wife, Elizabeth, who can usually be found in our Kids & Baby shop.
During this shoot, the photography team got to work closely with Jenny and some of her family. Jenny and Ron posed together for a snugly shot while her son, Alan, his wife, Drea, and their sweet baby Porter modeled for a cookie exchange photo-shoot. Jenny’s grandson, Porter, loved being the center of attention and put on a great little show!
Get a sneak peek of what’s inside this issue…
Here are just a few quilts you’ll find in our next issue, featured in different colors and new collections! Within this magazine, you’ll find that each quilt pattern is tied to an inspiring story and beautiful photography!
Each issue includes 10 patterns plus a few of Jenny’s special projects! That’s over $50 worth of information all packed into each bi-monthly issue of BLOCK Magazine for just $7.99! ($9.99 bi-monthly for Canadian subscriptions)
Subscribe by November 25, 2019 to get this issue in December!
SUBSCRIBE TO BLOCK MAGAZINE TODAY!
While we’re buttoning up the odds and ends of this next issue, would you help us choose the front cover? We just love them all!
Click HERE to send in your vote! Thank you!
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